Door structure



H. 1. LOTZ.

000R STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27. m9

Patented Dec. 5, 1922;

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. J. LOTZ.

DOOR STRUCTURE. APPLICATION FILED 0cf.21,1919.

Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

Patented cc, 5, i22.-

HENRY LQTZ, OF NORTH YAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

DOOR STRUCTURE.

Application filed October 27, 1919. Serial No. 833,498,

. "An object of this invention is to provide a sliding door or closure comprising separate panels and so constructed that the entire door may slide along one wall and ceiling of a structure to its open position thereby providing a closure which occupies a relatively small space;

Another object of this invention is to provide a sliding door having improved operating instrumentalities and incorporating novel means for counterweighting so that their counterbalancing effect will vary dur ing the movement of the door along its tracks.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sliding door of generally improved [the door in its open position; v

Figure 3 isfa horizontal sectional view" construction, whereby the device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well asconvenient, practical, serviceable, and efficient in its use.

'With the foregoing and other objects in view which'will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement ofparts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the Iinvention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the inven- (non. \s

,The invention has been llus'trated in its preferred embodiment .in the accompanying drawings wherein V Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the improved door structure, showing it in its low- -ered or closed position the lower portions of the -guide members-beingv-bro'ken away. Fi ure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken" on "t e line 2--2 of Figure 1 and showing I i -chains 21 are secured to the outer termitaken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFigure -1, showing the guide members in detail. I

doors or closures Referring to the drawing there is shown a structure comprising a wall W and ceiling C, the wall W having a door way or opening 0. g

The invention comprises spaced parallel tracks or guide members 5, which extend vertically along the wall W until they approach the ceiling where they are curved at 6 and mere into horizontally disposed portions 7. rackets 8 support the tracks in spaced relation to the wall W and ceiling eludes separate horizontally disposed panels 9 whlch are hinged'to each other, as shown at 10. The panels have roller brackets 11 C. A composite door is provided that insecured thereto, as indicated at 12, and each I bracket is provided with opposed laterally disposed rollers 13 j ournaled thereto and these rollers engage the opposed sides of the outer portions of the track 5. A third rollerror sheave is journaled to the bracket 11, and

this roller or sheave is perpendicularly (11S,-

posed with respect to'the rollers 13 and so positioned that its annular groove15 engages the lateral edge of the track 5. Each of the lower panels is provided with a bracket 11 ositioned at each lateral edge of the panel, while the uppermost panel 5 is provided with two brackets'disposed at each lateral edge thereof. The panels are each provided witha truss or brace rod 16 which is secured at its opposed ends to the Y panel at points adjacent its lateral edges as indicated at 1,7 and the intermediate portion of each brace rod is spaced from the panel byseparate posts 18. Turnbuckles 19 are secured to the truss rods at. a point intermediate the posts 18, thus providing means for readily adjusting the length of these rods. The uppermost panel 9 is provided with twobrace rods because this panel. is only provided with one set of hinges, which deprives it of the re-enforcing or bracing action that is afforded by the double sets of hinges in the intermediate panels, therefore this arrangement is resorted to to uniformly distribute the Arms 20, are secured to theilower panel. at each lateral edge thereof, and suitable"-' nals of these arms, which chains lead upwardly and pass over spaced sprockets 22 and then lead downwardly and are connect-v ed with cable 23. Each cable 23 extends downwardly and has a counterweight 24 v H I stress throughout :the, 'entiredoor structure. t i

secured to the lower end thereof, and this "counterweight is provided. with opposed reception of opposed grooves 25 for the flanges of spaced parallel vertically disposed angle-barsor guides 26. The angular coun-- terweight guides 26 are offset at points remote from their lower terminals to provide shoulders or stop members 27, and from this point they extend upwardly to provide .guidesfor separate counterweight/s 28. The

weight 28, and an enlargement or stop Inemher is formed on each cable 23to lnnlt the downward movement of the weight 28- with respect to this cable. The sprockets 22 are supported ibyga horizontally disposed shaft 31, that is] urnaled in spaced bearings 32, which are secured tothe wall W at each side of the doorway O. A. relatively large sprocket 33 is'secured to the shaft 31 a jacent one terminal thereof, and an endless hand chain 34:' passes over the sprocket '33 and extends downwardly to a point which is within convenient reach of an operator.

v In use, when it is desired to raise the entire door, one leg of the hand chain 34: is drawn downwardly to rotate the sprocket 33 in a clock-wise direction, which-action'rotates the shaft 31 and sprockets 32, thereby lifting the door and lowering the counterweights 24 and 28. As the door moves upwardly the upper panels 9 thereof move around the curved portions fi of the tracks 5 and then traverse the horizontally disposed portions 7. 'As this takes place the pull of the door on its counterweights is obviously decreased and then the counterweights 28 engage the shoulders 27 which limits the downward movement of these weights and consequently compensates for the decreased pull of the door. As the door continues to move upwardly it is only .counterweighted by the weights 24, which will be suifioient to support the door in this position wBy.

this arrangement a highlyleflicient structure is provided in which the action'of the coun terw eights are varied to. conform' to the varying pull of the door during the several phases of its operation, thereby providing a smooth and positive operating structure. As the separate panels 9 of the door pass from the vertical portions of the tracks 5 onto the horizontal portions 7 these panels the; closure along the said track. v

' Witnesses:

tend to sag at their centers, but this action is. overcome by the brace rods 16 which insure rigid panels and therefore uniform operation. 4

. Having thus described my invention, what is claimed 'is:

1. A device of the class" described including a track menrberhaving vertically and horizontally disposed portions, a composite closure slidably mounted upon the track, a relatively small counterweight, a flexible member operably connecting the said closure and the small counterweight, a relatively large counterweight slidable upon the flexible member, opposed guide members, said guide i members being ofi'set intermediate their ends to provide a lower guide way to slidably receive the small counterweight and an upper guide way to slidably receive the large counterweight, the ofiset portions of the guide members providing an integral stop to limit the downward movement of the large counterweight, after the said closure has 'moved a predetermined distance upwardly, andmeans for moving the closure along the said track.

2. A 'devite and horizontally disposed' portions, a composite closure slidably mounted upon the track, arelativelysmall counterweight. a flexible member operably connecting the small counterweight to the closure, a relatively large counterweight slidable relative to the flexible member, said counterweights having opposed grooves formed therein, opposed guide members formed of commercial angle bars and one flange of eachangle bar extending into one of said grooves to slidably secure the counterweights to the guide members, the lower portions of the guide members vertically guiding the small counterweight, the upper portions of. the guide of the class' described in-' cludlng a track'mem'ber having vertically members vertically guiding the large counthe guide members being offset, to provide an integral stop to 'limlt the downward movement-of the large-counterwei ht after the said closure has movedapredetermined -terweight and the intermediateportions of distance upwardly, andmean "f mevitig 1 in testimony thlt I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' JZLOTZ.

J. F. Rica, ANTHONY Ennnr, 

